Ophthalmic eyewear for regulating ocular exposure to high energy electromagnetic radiation

Abstract

Ophthalmic eyewear is provided, comprising a frame and a spectacle lens having a filter and being disposed within the frame or a contact lens having a filter disposed thereon or therein. The filter comprises a spectral characteristic that modulates the transmission of ambient light to protect the eyes of the wearer from damage and loss of vision caused by high energy wavelengths of light.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . Ophthalmic eyewear, comprising:
 a frame;   at least one spectacle lens disposed within the frame; and   the at least one spectacle lens having a filter, wherein the filter has greater than about 50% reduction of transmission of blue light in the band from about 400 to about 450 nm, and wherein the filter has greater than about 50% transmission of blue light in the band from about 460 to about 500 nm.   
     
     
         2 . The ophthalmic eyewear of  claim 1 , wherein the filter covers a surface of the spectacle lens. 
     
     
         3 . The ophthalmic eyewear of  claim 1 , wherein the filter is an electrochromic filter. 
     
     
         4 . The ophthalmic eyewear of  claim 1 , wherein the filter transmits a color balance bandwidth which allows proper color balance and contrast when viewing of a computer display. 
     
     
         5 . The ophthalmic eyewear of  claim 1 , wherein the filter transmits a circadian rhythm bandwidth which allows maintenance of proper circadian rhythms. 
     
     
         6 . The ophthalmic eyewear of  claim 1 , wherein the filter blocks substantially all of light with a bandwidth shorter than about 400 nm. 
     
     
         7 . The ophthalmic eyewear of  claim 1 , wherein the filter specification is chosen based on a measured presence of hazardous blue light in a visual environment of a user. 
     
     
         8 . The ophthalmic eyewear of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one spectacle lens has a prescribed power. 
     
     
         9 . Ophthalmic eyewear, comprising a contact lens having a filter, wherein the filter has greater than about 50% reduction of transmission of blue light in the band from about 400 to about 450 nm, and wherein the filter has greater than about 50% transmission of blue light in the band from about 460 to about 500 nm. 
     
     
         10 . The ophthalmic eyewear of  claim 9 , wherein the filter covers a central portion of the contact lens and a peripheral portion of the contact lens is uncovered by the filter. 
     
     
         11 . The ophthalmic eyewear of  claim 9 , wherein the contact lens comprises at least one of a soft lens, rigid lens, hybrid lens, intracorneal lens, corneal onlay, and intraocular lens. 
     
     
         12 . The ophthalmic eyewear of  claim 9 , wherein the filter transmits a color balance bandwidth which allows proper color balance and contrast when viewing of a computer display. 
     
     
         13 . The ophthalmic eyewear of  claim 9 , wherein the filter transmits a circadian rhythm bandwidth which allows maintenance of proper circadian rhythms 
     
     
         14 . The ophthalmic eyewear of  claim 9 , wherein the filter blocks substantially all of light with a bandwidth shorter than about 400 nm. 
     
     
         15 . The ophthalmic eyewear of  claim 9 , wherein the filter specification is chosen based on a measured presence of hazardous blue light in a visual environment of a user. 
     
     
         16 . The ophthalmic eyewear of  claim 9 , wherein the contact lens has a prescribed power. 
     
     
         17 . A method of selecting a filter for reducing the transmission of blue light in the band from about 400 to about 450 nm by more than about 50% reduction and also more than about 50% transmission of blue light in the band from about 460 to about 500 nm, comprising the steps of:
 measuring the spectral character of ambient light in a user environment;   determining a desired spectral transmission for an eye of the user;   determining a desired spectral transmission of a lens;   selecting a filter that will provide the determined spectral transmission of the lens;   applying the selected filter to the lens; and   measuring a resultant spectral transmission of the lens to verify the desired spectral transmission for the user has been achieved.   
     
     
         18 . The method of selecting a filter of  claim 17 , wherein the filter is applied by at least one of tinting, coating, adding photochromic materials, and adding electrochromic properties.